Harry Potter and the Secret Daughter
by Corporal Spivilles
Summary: Christmas brings an unexpected present to Hogwarts, wrapped in deception, fear, and twisted love. Wtih so many layers of misleading halftruths obscuring his judgment, will Harry be able to come out on top this time?
1. Unexpected Faces

"Hey Harry."

Harry Potter turned around to see his best friend, Ron Weasley, running up to him. He waited, and when Ron had caught up they started walking again.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Well, there's a rumor going around that we're getting a new girl next week," Ron said.

"So?" Harry said. "We get new people all the time."

"Yeah, but not in the middle of the year," Ron said. It was shortly after Christmas holiday. "Besides, people are saying a lot of stuff about her."

"Stuff? Like what?" Harry asked.

"They say she's related to You-Know-Who, like his daughter or something. Raised by Lucius Malfoy, they said. That git Malfoy even confirmed it. He said Dumbledore's bringing her in to keep her contained," Ron said, his eyes wide.

"Voldemort's daughter?" Harry repeated. He was more than a little skeptical. Voldemort had never come across as the father sort.

"You've got to be joking," he said after a moment. Ron shook his head.

"Even Hermione reckons it's likely," he said. "You know how clever she is."

Harry just shook his head. He wouldn't believe it, it was too farfetched.

* * *

A week later, however, it seemed like Ron's story was true. When Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, there was a great crowd at the Slytherin table, and it seemed like a lot of shouting was going on. Ron gave a pointed stare at Harry and they made their way over.

They pushed their way to the center and found Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle standing around a girl, seeming to shield her from the crowd. The only visible part of her was the top of her shining black hair. Crabbe and Goyle were flexing their muscles and clenching their fists menacingly and Malfoy was scowling.

"Go on, all of you," he said viciously. "There's nothing to see here, now go on! Off with you!" he yelled.

Snape, who had just entered the Hall, quickly began to make his way over, but as soon as he reached the crowd and before he could say a thing, the girl put a hand on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Draco, it's alright," she said in his ear in a voice that was soft, low, gentle and menacingly innocent all at the same time. "Let them look if they want to. I don't mind at all."

Malfoy looked surprised for a bit, but nodded and stepped aside, revealing a rather beautiful girl of Harry's age of sixteen. She had long, glistening jet-black hair and icy blue eyes that had a deep sort of look to them. Her facial structure reminded Harry fiercely of the sixteen year old Tom Riddle he'd seen in his second year, albeit more feminine. Was it possible that she really was Voldemort's daughter? Harry found it awfully unbelievable.

Snape, by this time, had dispersed most of the crowd and had made his way to Malfoy and the girl. Harry, Ron and Hermione made to turn and "accidentally" found themselves blocked by the Hufflepuff table.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, nodding to him. "Miss Riddle, are you alright?"

The girl, Miss Riddle, nodded.

"Yes, thank you, Professor," she said in a voice verging between sultry and childlike.

"Would you like to go back to the common room, Sarah?" Malfoy asked. "I know crowds upset you."

"No, Draco, I'm fine," Sarah said. "Besides, I haven't eaten my breakfast yet."

And with that, she sat down and began to eat. Harry, Ron and Hermione dislodged themselves from the Hufflepuff bench and moved over to the Gryffindor table, where the students were whispering. Harry felt almost glad that they weren't whispering about him.

"I told you, Harry," Ron said as they sat.

"No," Harry said. "There's no way."

"Well, Harry, it's quite possible," Hermione said. "I mean, she has the same last name...that's just one thing."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Unless she just took that last name-"

"Which she wouldn't have," Hermione said.

"How do you know?" Harry said. "She could just be looking for attention."

Hermione fixed him with an almost disappointed glare.

"Looking for attention, is she, because of an unthinkable claim, which, really, I haven't even heard her make? Sounds awfully familiar, don't you think? Isn't that usually your situation?" she asked. Ron looked at his plate and Harry felt his face burning. She was right, he thought. Suddenly he felt very hypocritical, and it was an awful feeling, he decided. He had no right to make judgment on Sarah without knowing for a fact that she had no relation to Voldemort whatsoever.

Hermione smiled and patted Harry's hand.

"It's alright, Harry," she said. "It's human nature to not want to believe something like that."

"I know, but-"

"Harry, are you going to eat your toast?" Ron asked, changing the subject. "'Cause I'm starving."

Harry handed Ron the toast.

* * *

They soon finished and were moving out when Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped and turned around, vaguely aware of Ron and Hermione stopping to watch. The person who had touched him was-

Sarah Riddle.

She was watching him, staring right into his eyes in an almost enraptured manner. Soon, however, she stopped staring and smiled gently at him.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice strangely inviting. "It's just- your eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen. What's your name?"

"Harry Potter," Harry said, taken aback, not only because of her compliment but because she hadn't known his name. She smiled and continued to stare into his eyes, like she liked nothing better than doing so. Harry began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze and squirmed a bit.

"Sarah Riddle," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."

"And you," Harry muttered, shaking her hand. She was acting like she'd never heard of him—and rather than a welcome relief it was almost unsettling.

Malfoy came up behind Sarah, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. She turned around and looked at him.

"Hello, Draco," she said. "Have you met Harry?"

"Yes, we're great friends," Malfoy said without hesitation or sarcasm. Before a shocked Harry could say anything, however, Malfoy brought Goyle over.

"Goyle, take Sarah to her first class," he said. "I'll be along shortly. Crabbe, you go too."

"Bye, Harry," Sarah said as she walked off, escorted on either side by Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry looked at Malfoy and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Malfoy spoke.

"Listen here, Potter. Sarah doesn't know a thing about you, or the Dark Lord or any of it, understand? And we'd like to keep it that way. So keep your mouth shut, for her sake," he said. He sighed. "While she's here, I suppose we're in a truce. Don't ruin her time here with division and bitterness, please. She's like...she's precious to me, and I won't have her hurt," he said, and he walked off, leaving Harry very confused. Had he seen something like...caring...in Malfoy's eyes? He'd never seen a compassionate Malfoy before...

He walked over to Ron and Hermione, his head spinning. He brushed away their inquiries and walked briskly out of the Great Hall.

He and Ron said goodbye to Hermione and made their way to the North Tower for Divination, and when they entered the room they found Sarah and Ginger Pendragon, a green-eyed, blonde sixth year from Ravenclaw, sitting together. Harry and Ron had met Ginger the previous year with the D.A., and she waved to them. They went and seated themselves next to them, Harry next to Sarah and Ron next to Ginger.

"Hello again, Harry," Sarah said. "Who's your friend?"

"Ron Weasley," Ron said, shaking her hand. "A pleasure to meet you- Sarah, isn't it?" he said. Sarah laughed and nodded. Harry grinned and shook his head. Ron had been quite breathless, and Harry knew what that meant. Ron had used that voice with Fleur, the French ¼ veela they had met in their fourth year, who was now- it was rumored- going out with Bill, Ron's older brother.

Soon the room filled and class started, with all of the students abandoning their palm charts and such and falling to whispering and pointing at Sarah, who was completely oblivious to the whispers and fretful, scared glances she received. She was too busy staring into Harry's eyes.

Malfoy came to walk her to her next class, and as soon as she was gone Ron chuckled.

"She's got it bad for you, mate," he said, "and if I was you, her dad wouldn't make a difference to me."

"Did you ask her?" Hermione asked at lunch after Harry and Ron told her about Sarah being in their Divination class. They shook their heads.

"I was going to, but Harry wouldn't let me," Ron said. "Which reminds me, why?"

"Malfoy says Sarah doesn't know a thing about me, what I've done, or Voldemort, or any of it, and he and I both think it'd be better for Sarah if it stayed that way," Harry said. Ron looked surprised, but Hermione nodded, then put on a thoughtful look.

"But, if she's Voldemort's- oh Ron- daughter- the Malfoys are Dark wizards- wouldn't they have wanted her to know?" she wondered aloud. Harry thought about it.

It would make sense for the Malfoys to have told Sarah everything. As Voldemort's daughter, surely she'd have been expected to join his side-

"I've got it," Hermione said. "You said she was really nice, yes? Well, if growing up with the Malfoys didn't affect her- they must have been afraid she'd choose your side."

"Yes, but she's You-Know-Who's daughter, she'd be sure to go with him," Ron said.

"You don't know that," Hermione retaliated. "Percy didn't go with his family, did he?"

Ron's ears flamed and he glared at Hermione.

"Don't talk about Percy," he growled. Hermione opened her mouth but Harry silenced them with a look. He was not in the mood to hear them have a row.

"Come on," he said. "Care of Magical Creatures."

Hermione and Ron glared at each other and gathered their books.


	2. Of Dragons and Snakes

The trio made their way down the sloping castle lawn towards Hagrid's hut, but instead of Hagrid, they saw a pretty young woman with red hair and hazel eyes. She looked at them and grinned to see their shock.

"Welcome," she said with a Scottish accent. "And dinna think 'Agrid's not 'ere. 'E's just inside. I'm on'y 'ear t'help."

Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned with relief and Ron winked at the woman as they sat down. Sure enough, Hagrid came out soon carrying a large, smoldering crate. He smiled at the three.

"'Ello, there," he said. "Good ter see yeh."

"Hello," they all said, and they sat in silence for a bit as the other Gryffindors and Slytherins made their way down. Sarah spotted them and dragged Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle over with her.

"Hello again, Harry, Ron," she said.

"Hello," Ron said.

"Hello," Harry said. He looked at Hermione. "Sarah, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, Sarah Riddle."

"It's a pleasure," they said together. They giggled and Harry could see Malfoy using tremendous effort to keep from rolling his eyes.

Sarah, meanwhile, had noticed Hagrid.

"Is he the teacher?" she asked. They nodded. "He looks rather severe, but he has kind eyes. I like his eyes. But not as much as yours, Harry. Yours are gorgeous."

Ron laughed and quickly coughed to cover it as the heat rose in Harry's face. Malfoy's lips twitched, like they would like nothing more than to sneer but refused to do so.

Luckily, Hagrid began class, so Harry was saved from replying.

"Alrigh', now, today weh'll be learnin' 'bout dragons-" Harry, Ron and Hermione groaned- "and ter help with th' lesson is profess'nal Dragon Keeper, Kate McClemmen," Hagrid said, gesturing to the Scottish woman. She waved and smiled at Ron, who smiled back.

"Firs' we're gonna tell yeh a bit o' the history o' the dragons, an' then Kate'll be showin' yeh a hatchling tha' she brought with 'er," Hagrid continued.

"Actually, Hagrid, it might be better t' show 'em the ol' fire lizard now," Kate said. "He'll be getting' agitated soon, with all the smells o' the students and such, an' then t'would take a bit o' magic t' prevent the Forest burnin' t' a cinder." She grinned. "This one's a bit nasty."

"Aren't dragons illegal?" Malfoy said, trying to keep the spite out of his voice with a glance at Sarah. Kate fixed a firm hazel gaze on him.

"In another situation, Mr. Malfoy, ye'd be quite right," she said. "But, like Hagrid told yeh, I'm a Dragon Keeper. 'S perfectly legal fer me t' have one."

Harry saw a few people nodding, such as Ron. His brother Charlie was a Dragon Keeper.

"Now, this one 'ere we like t' call Charlie," Kate said, grinning madly. "After the good friend o' mine who found 'im, Charlie Weasley."

Ron and Harry laughed, as did some of the students who had met Charlie at the first task of the Triwizard Tournament in fourth year.

"Charlie is a nestling who was- not abandoned, but more lost than anythin', for yeh see, dragonesses are highly protective o' their young, it's nigh impossible t' get near 'em. Charlie- Weasley, that is- found the little bugger bein' attacked by a bunch o' vampires. Vampires don't like dragons so much- any chance they get they try t' do away with 'em.

"Now, I'm gonna bring 'im out," she said, getting her gloves on and pulled a large dragon-skin smock over her robes. "I'd advise all o' yeh t' be nice an' quiet an' still, and if yeh must move do it very slowly. Understood?"

The students nodded as one, everyone but Harry, Ron and Hermione eagerly awaiting their first glimpse of a dragon. The three remembered Norbert, Hagrid's pet dragon from second year. Ron grimaced. He had gotten a nasty bite from Norbert and he didn't want to repeat the experience.

But when Kate pulled Charlie out of his crate he was quite cuddly with her. He had shimmering, iridescent scales and clear, pearly opal eyes. Many of the girls oooed. Kate giggled as Charlie nuzzled her neck.

"Charlie here is an Opal-eye dragon, from New Zealand. They're the most gentle sort o' dragon an' by far the prettiest, aye, lassies?" she said. Many of the girls nodded vigorously.

"I though you said he was nasty," Neville said. Kate looked at him.

"Aye, I did, laddie, and aye, he is, when yeh get 'im upset. He don't like bein' confined fer a long time, so I figured it'd be best to get 'im out early." She began to tell them about dragon growth patterns and the relative size for the age of most dragons, and about how to take care of a young dragon. Charlie seemed very interested in the students, stretching out his long neck and sniffing at the students in the first row, who shrieked as he snaked out his tongue to lick them. When she'd finished, she winked at Hagrid. Hagrid nodded to her and began to tell them about dragon history.

After class had been dismissed, Kate waved at Ron and told him Charlie sent his love. Ron grinned.

"Do you know her well?" Hermione asked as they parted with the Slytherins and went toward Herbology.

"'Course," Ron said. "She's Charlie's fiancée. They're getting married Easter holiday. Mum said we're all to be there."

"Ooo, how precious!" Hermione squealed. "Harry, you should ask Sarah to come!"

"Come where?"

The three turned around to see Sarah standing there.

"The Slytherin Herbology class was full," she explained. "So I'm to take that and Transfiguration with the Gryffindors."

"That's wonderful!" Ron said. Hermione glared at him, but Sarah smiled.

"I thought so as well...Draco didn't seem to like it so much, but...Anyway, come where?"

"My brother's wedding," Ron said. "Easter holiday."

"Oh, I love weddings!" Sarah exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I'd love to! I'll have to ask Draco though. I'm not allowed to go anywhere without his permission."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks and led her into the greenhouse.

* * *

After Herbology, the Gryffindors had no classes with the Slytherins and Transfiguration was tomorrow, so Harry, Ron and Hermione bid Sarah farewell and went up to the castle for dinner.

"Hermione," Harry said as he helped himself to his mashed potatoes.

"Yes Harry?" she asked.

"Why did you say I should ask if Sarah wanted to come to Charlie's wedding?" Harry asked.

"Well, you know, just about everyone from the Order is sure to be there. I figured the more we acquaint her with good people, the more likely she'll be to choose our side when she learns about everything," she said.

"If she learns about everything," Ron corrected. Hermione clucked her tongue.

"She will, Ron, sooner or later," she said. "She's Voldemort's- oh honestly- daughter."

"But he must not know about her," Harry said. "Otherwise, he'd've come for her, don't you reckon?"

"Maybe he's waiting for the right time," Hermione said. "That seems more like something his vile self would do."

* * *

That night, Harry was shaken awake roughly by Professor McGonagall.

"Come on, Potter," she said, handing him his glasses, which he shoved onto his face groggily.

"Wha- wha's goin' on?" he mumbled, putting on his dressing gown and following her out of the portrait hole.

"Just hush for now."

And he couldn't get another word out of her until they reached the gargoyle that guarded the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," she said with the trace of a smile. The gargoyle leapt aside and they followed the familiar path to the office.

When they entered the door, Harry found Dumbledore in his chair as usual, but to his surprise, Malfoy was sitting in another chair, cradling a sobbing Sarah. Dumbledore smiled at Harry.

"Thank you for coming, Harry," he said Sarah picked her head up from Malfoy's shoulder. "Miss Riddle asked for you."

Harry barely heard these last words, because Sarah had thrown herself into him, sobbing anew.

"Harry! Harry, I saw- I saw- the most- awful man- I've ever- seen!" she said, hiccoughing between words. "It was terrible- he said- he said- he said that I ought to be- be- killing people for him!"

At that point, she collapsed into a new fit of tears and anything else she tried to say was incomprehensible. Harry gently helped her back into Malfoy's anxious arms and looked at Dumbledore, his face grim.

"She's seen Voldemort, then?" he said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Rather than explain it himself, Mr. Malfoy found it in himself to bring her to someone who could give her a learned and objective explanation," he said. "However, she would not hear a word of it until you came," he added with a twinkle in his eye. He stood up and placed a kind hand on Sarah's shoulder. She looked at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked gently. Sarah sniffed and nodded, then got up and (much to Malfoy's indignation and Harry's surprise) settled herself in Harry's arms. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled happily.

"The first thing you must know, Sarah, is that not everyone in the world is kind. There are some people who would reap extreme pleasure form watching someone suffer and cry. Some of these people would kill you without a second thought, simply because they can. The man in your dream is one of these people. His name is Lord Voldemort.

"Lord Voldemort is a very evil man who has delved into the Dark Arts seeking to rule the magical world. He and his servants, the Death Eaters, have killed many good people needlessly, simply for the pleasure of doing it. Harry's own parents were killed by Voldemort, and he received his scar from a failed attempt by Voldemort to kill him as well."

Sarah turned to look at Harry. She brushed away his bangs and ran a finger over his scar. Harry winced as it twinged painfully and Sarah pulled her finger away. She seemed very subdued by this information. Clearly, she, though very intelligent, had been under the sheltered impression that everyone was as kind as those she had known thus far. She turned back to Dumbledore.

"But why would this awful man be in my dreams?" she asked, her voice determinedly devoid of emotion. Dumbledore sighed.

"Because he is your father," he said, his voice a bit strained.

A disgusting silence followed these words, and Harry could feel Sarah vibrating with shock and distress. He couldn't see her face, which was fixed on Dumbledore, but Harry could guess that the blood was draining from it, and that her beautiful blue eyes were wide and something like terrified. Harry reached around her and took her hands awkwardly in his, trying to comfort her. As he did so, he thought he saw Malfoy clench his fists, as though he were itching to punch something.

Sarah was looking back and forth between Dumbledore and Malfoy, seemingly dumbstruck and fish-mouthed.

"Mother wanted to tell you," Malfoy said, looking at her. "But Father said no.

"Your mum was a Death Eater the Dark Lord got too friendly with. She was a close friend of Mother's, so after you were born she gave you to us. She told the Dark Lord you'd died. He didn't believe her. Knew she was lying, so he killed her. Never found out where you were, though. Didn't care to look."

"Didn't...care...to look," Sarah repeated softly. She fell limply back onto Harry, who awkwardly glanced at Dumbledore. The headmaster showed no sign of seeing his rather uncomfortable position. Harry was feeling quite red in the face. He'd never had a girl so close for so long. All he knew was that he was not going to be telling Ron about it, that was for certain.

Dumbledore nodded at the pallid Sarah.

"Voldemort does not care. For anyone or anything," he said.

"Why did I have to come here?" Sarah asked. "Why couldn't I have stayed at the Malfoy's?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"You are sixteen years old, correct?" he asked. Sarah nodded. "You should have learned about everything many, many years ago, and I thought it was time for you to be told. For you see, Voldemort was stripped of his power when he failed to kill Harry. However, two years ago he returned and has since been gathering power. He sent you this dream because you have power unheard of for a witch your age, and Voldemort will want you on his side. Therefore you must now make a choice between good and evil. You do not have to make it tonight, but the sooner you do, the better."

"I know what I'm going to choose," Sarah said immediately. "I'm on Harry's side."

Malfoy scowled, but Harry's spirits flew. Dumbledore nodded, looking pleased.

"Very well. Mr. Malfoy, escort her back to the Slytherin common room. Miss Riddle, if you wish, tomorrow we will move you from Slytherin House to Gryffindor. Mr. Potter, stay for a bit more, if you will. I'd like to speak to you privately. Minerva, thank you so much for bringing Harry here." Dumbledore said. McGonagall nodded and left, ushering Malfoy and Sarah out. Harry watched them leave, then turned back to Dumbledore.

"You wanted to tell me something, sir?" he said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, Harry," he said. "And this is it- Sarah will need friends who stick by her for a good amount of time after this, and I tend to think that you, Ron and Hermione would be preferred by her. Also, as I said, Sarah is extremely powerful and it would do us all good to keep her from getting upset, understand? Her power is like yours, in a way. Most dangerous when put under pressure. Watch her for this, and calm her if necessary. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Harry said, nodding. Dumbledore nodded.

"Then you may go."


	3. Stay Awake, Little Dreamer

Sarah followed Draco mechanically to the Slytherin common room, but wouldn't enter when he opened the wall.

"He was in this house, wasn't he? Wasn't he?" she said. Draco shot her an annoyed look.

"You know he was as well as I do," he said. "Now come on, you need to sleep...you'll get yourself sick..."

He reached for her arm and tried to pull her into the common room, but she stepped away from him.

"I'll not," she said. "I'm not sleeping in there. Even if you pick me up and throw me in I won't sleep. I'll never be able to sleep again, least of all in there. Take me somewhere else...Nevermind, I'll go find a place myself..."

Draco scowled as she began to walk away, and he seized her about the waist, picked her up and carried her into the common room.

"Draco! Draco, stop, get off me, I don't want to go in there, Draco!" she shrieked. "Draco, he'll find me, he'll find me, don't let him find me, you're helping him! Stop, Draco, stop!"

And he did. The moment she had said you're helping him Draco had dropped her. For some reason, those words had sent a chill through him. He drew a rattling breath.

"Fine. Keep pretending," he said. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital wing...we'll wake Madam Pomfrey and tell her you've gotten yourself a headache...she'll let you spend the night there," he said robotically, pulling her to her feet and pushing her back out into the hall. She turned and looked at him, confused.

"Draco?" she said. "What's the matter?"

Draco shook himself and pushed her forward.

"Nothing," he said.

* * *

Harry took his time walking back to the common room so he could think about things. He'd known that Sarah was Voldemort's daughter...but hearing Dumbledore say it and seeing her reaction had made it much more real. Now he understood the gravity of the situation.

Sarah had immediately sided with Harry, not Malfoy, whom she had grown up with and, prior to this night, had trusted completely. Harry had seen the hurt in her face when she realized what Malfoy had been keeping from her, and he knew Malfoy had received a pang of realization himself when Sarah chose Harry.

He found himself nearing the common room but was now extremely restless, so he detoured, finding himself on the staircase in the entry hall. He was just about to sit down for a bit when he spotted Malfoy and Sarah coming up the stairs from the dungeons.

"All right there?" he called. "Didn't you two go back to your common room?"

Malfoy stopped, surprised to see Harry, but Sarah smiled, ran to him and embraced him. Harry hugged her in return with one arm but continued to watch Malfoy, who had regained himself.

"Sarah didn't want to sleep in the Slytherin dormitories," he said with an edge to his voice, however, it was contained due to Sarah's presence. "I was taking her to the hospital wing so she could sleep there."

"Oh, alright then," Harry said. He looked at Sarah. "I suppose you'll be wanting to run along then. You must be tired."

"Not really," Sarah said. "Guess what, Harry. I've decided that I want to move to Gryffindor house. Then, we'll be in all the same classes, and the same house as well. Won't that be wonderful? We'll see each other all the time."

"Yes, it'll be grand," Harry said, grinning as he spotted Malfoy's expression. He looked positively indignant, not to mention furious, something Sarah either didn't notice or chose to overlook as she turned to him.

"Are you going to take me up the rest of the way?" she asked. Malfoy looked at her, then at Harry, then back at Sarah.

"You know where it is, don't you?" he said. She nodded. "Then why don't you go up yourself? I'll see you tomorrow in Potions, alright?"

Sarah nodded again. She turned to go upstairs, paused as if having an idea, and turned around and kissed Harry on the cheek before jogging off up the stairs. Harry stared after her, more than a bit surprised and, truth be told, confused. Malfoy was watching her disappear as well, but with a very different expression.

"I want you to stay away from her, Potter," he hissed. Harry turned to him, his gaze hard.

"Why? She's already chosen me," he said. He thought about his words and quickly corrected himself. "My side, I mean. She's chosen my side. There's not really much I can do to make her stay away."

"She hasn't," Malfoy said, his voice shaking. "She's only looking for something different. She didn't choose me because I represent her old life, not because I represent the Dark Lord." He laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but she hasn't really chosen her side yet. Trust me, Potter. I know her better than you."

"People change," Harry said, though unnerved by Malfoy's words. What if he was right? "She could really want good to win." He was appalled at himself...his argument was getting weaker. Why could Malfoy always beat him?

Malfoy laughed.

"No one's interested in good or evil winning the war right now," he said. "Ask Dumbledore if you like, everyone's only interested in winning Sarah, and, as I'm sure you know, the Dark Lord is very good at persuasion. She'll come to us in the end."

"She'll not," Harry said vehemently, though he knew it was quite possible. Still, Sarah was probably ticked at Malfoy right now...that may keep her away from the Dark side, simply because she'd been lied to...Harry could only hope.

"Well, that'll be for her to decide, won't it?" Malfoy said bitterly, and he turned to go-

"Malfoy! Potter! What're you doing out here? It's past curfew for students...rotten little troublemakers, I wouldn't be surprised if you was out 'ere dueling...nasty bloated maggots. Detention for both of you, come with me, I've got to write it up."

Harry and Malfoy groaned as they followed Filch to his office, throwing each other glares the whole way.

* * *

"Detention!"

It was breakfast the next morning, and Hermione was scolding Harry over her Advanced Arithmancy book, which was propped up against a large tub of porridge.

"Honestly, I believe that McGonagall woke you up after hours...but you should have come strait back to the common room...thinking, you say...you could've done your thinking in your bed...you just had to get detention, didn't you? We have Potions today, you and I, and you're falling behind...you know Snape gives an essay for homework every class...how're you going to do that and all your other homework with detention?"

"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Ron said. "If you ask me, Harry shouldn't be worried about anything except how he's going to get through detention with Malfoy without killing him."

"Well, we didn't ask you, did we?" Hermione said furiously.

Harry propped his elbow on the table and laid his cheek in his hand, absentmindedly stirring his porridge. He had one reason not to kill Malfoy- Sarah. She might've been mad at him at the moment, but she'd lived her entire life with him and Harry was sure she cared about him in some way...he would find it hard to believe if she didn't. Harry didn't want to hurt her...it was enough just being Voldemort's daughter, that couldn't be fun...

"Harry? Harry! HARRY!"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts with a jerk and his spoon flew out of his hand, spraying porridge everywhere and hitting Neville square in the forehead.

"Oops...sorry, Neville," he said. He looked at Ron and Hermione. "What do you want?"

"Look, mate," Ron said. "Sarah's coming over here...wearing Gryffindor robes."

"I know. Dumbledore said he'd move her last night," Harry said.

"McGonagall brought her in this morning," Hermione said. "Told us there'd been complaints of cramping in the Slytherin girls' dormitories...nonsense, if you ask me. Codswallop. It's because Dumbledore doesn't want her around the sons and daughters of Death Eaters."

Harry had told them about Sarah choosing Harry's side, but he hadn't told them about what Malfoy said to him about how she was only looking for something different. He was worried that they would take convincing her too far and scare her away.

"Hello," Sarah said tiredly, sitting down next to Harry. She wasn't her usual bouncy self at all. She looked drawn and exhausted, like she hadn't slept in weeks.

"Why, Sarah, didn't you sleep last night?" Hermione asked. "Harry told us you went to the hospital wing- didn't Madam Pomfrey give you a sleeping potion?"

"She did," Sarah said, yawning. "But it didn't work too well. It was supposed to give me dreamless sleep, but he found me anyway, so I woke up and wouldn't sleep for the rest of the n-n-night," she finished with another yawn.

"He?" Ron said. "You mean- You-Know-Who?"

"V-V-Voldemort?" Sarah said, a yawn mangling her words. Ron flinched and Hermione shot a scathing look at him.

"Some people call him You-Know-Who because they're afraid to say his name, because of the bad things he's done," she explained to Sarah, who nodded.

"Yes, him, then," she said.

"What did you see in the dream?" Harry asked.

"Well, he was there, and he had a basket, like the snake charmers in India. And he started playing a snake charmer flute-thing, and out of the basket rose this massive snake. It was at least as big around as I am, and it must've been three times as long. But anyway, it came out of the basket and was dancing and such, and it made eye contact with me and my head started to hurt really, really bad...and I woke up and Madam Pomfrey said I was screaming, and I told her about the dream and she was really confused, cause I wasn't s'posed to be dreaming, I guess," Sarah said. "What's the matter, Harry?"

For Harry had a grim expression on his face. The dream Sarah had described was very like some of his own, and his dreams had led to Occulmency lessons last year, which had failed grandly, but he highly doubted that Occulmency would work for Sarah if her father had gotten to her in a dreamless sleep. Hermione was looking very thoughtful...no doubt she was pondering how Voldemort had gotten through. Harry could have told her that. As father and daughter Voldemort and Sarah had a connection that was much stronger than Harry's to him, and thus he had a more open way of messing with her mind.

"Well, come on," Hermione said suddenly. "We've got Potions first thing."

Ron laughed. He had dropped Potions without a second thought last year. Harry would have as well, but as he wanted to be an Auror he had to have a Potions N.E.W.T., and Hermione of course thought it best to have one in every subject.

They left the Great Hall and said good-bye to Ron, who for dropping certain classes had a free hour and a half. Upon entering the classroom to the usual scene of a small class dominated by Slytherins and Ravenclaws, Sarah, Harry and Hermione sat at a table with Ernie Macmillian, the only other person not in one of the said dominating houses.

"Settle down," Snape said as a greeting, coming out of his office. He paused to see Sarah sitting before him in Gryffindor robes but instead of letting it phase him he continued glaring at the class. Harry glanced at Malfoy and was pleased to see that he was noticeable subdued.

"Today we will be making a salve for irritated skin, whether naturally or magically caused. The main ingredient is goldenseal, and I must warn you to be very careful when mixing it in. The alkaloids in the roots are poisonous in large doses, and we wouldn't want your finished salve to be deadly, would we?" he said silkily. "Instructions and ingredients on the board. When you have finished, fill one of the glass jars at your table and bring it to my desk. Begin."

Harry read the directions carefully...like Hermione had said, he was falling behind and he couldn't afford to fail this class, not if he wanted to be an Auror. And it wasn't just about him anymore...he didn't want to let McGonagall down.

It was near the end of class, and he'd heated it and strained it and added the tea tree oil and everything else. He had gotten to the last ingredient when he became confused. It said "add six to eight drops of an essential oil for fragrance- optional." Harry didn't care much for fragrance, and he didn't know what he'd use anyway, so he decided to finish up, but before he could Sarah put a bottle and dropper in his hand.

"I'd use lavender," she said. "It's soothing, and it helps with insomnia and jitters. You've been jumping all over the place the whole period- you looked like a grasshopper."

Surprised, Harry accepted it and added it to his salve. He quickly filled his jar and took it to Snape, who glared at him and put it in a dark corner of his room with everyone else's.

"That was fun," Sarah said after the bell rang.

"It was actually interesting," Hermione said as they left the room. "I hope we get them back, they could come in handy in case anyone gets a rash."

"Rashes aren't exactly common, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yes, they are," Hermione said. "And it never hurts to be prepared."

"That's right," Sarah said. "Draco gets rashes every summer like clockwork. You'd never know it, though...Mrs. Narcissa always made me make that goldenseal salve for him. Did you see him have trouble with it? He never paid attention when I tried to teach him."

Harry laughed...he couldn't wait to tell Ron. He'd get a kick out of that.


	4. Of Ferrets and Feathers

They had made it up to the entrance hall and halfway up the stairs when Cho Chang called to them, or more specifically, to Harry. She was in their Potions class and had been speaking to Harry more and more, which had surprised him after their falling out last year. Hermione tsked and Sarah watched, a bit confused, as Cho ran up and smiled at Harry widely.

"Hi, Harry," she said breathily.

"Er, hi, Cho," Harry said. Hermione elbowed him in the side and jerked her head at Sarah, who was waiting to be introduced. Cho didn't seem to notice.

"Er, Cho, this is Sarah, er, Riddle," Harry said awkwardly. "Sarah, that's Cho Chang."

Sarah made a motion to extend her hand for shaking, but looked at Cho and stayed still. Cho hadn't even noticed the introduction.

"Well, it looks like you need to talk," Sarah said. "Shall we go ahead to Transfiguration, then, Hermione?"

"I think so," she said. "Come on, I'll show you where it is."

They turned and left without so much as a goodbye, and Harry watched them leave wistfully. Funny, he thought, last year I was so anxious to have a moment alone with Cho. He turned to her now wishing she didn't exist.

"So...er...how are you?" Harry said.

"I'm fine," said Cho dreamily. "You? I'm sure you're fine too, you're always fine."

"Er...right," Harry said. "Well, I'd best be off-"

"Wait, Harry!" Cho said, grabbing his hand. "Didn't you see the signs? To help everyone become closer, like the Sorting Hat said last year, you know to promote unity, Dumbledore's planning a Valentine's Day ball!"

Harry groaned. He hated balls...well, he hated the only one he'd ever been to. The Yule Ball had been a part of the Triwizard Tournament, and as a champion he had been forced to dance in front of the whole school. Still, Valentine's Day was still a good month or so away. Plenty of time to mope.

"That's nice...I'll...er...look forward to it," he said. "See you later."

Cho released his hand, nodded and wandered off, crestfallen. That was obviously not the answer she had wanted to hear, but Harry didn't care. It hadn't worked with him and Cho last year, it wouldn't work this year. Maybe he'd ask Hermione...

* * *

"Hey Harry," Ron whispered, pulling him away from Hermione and Sarah in Transfiguration.

"Yeah?" Harry asked while trying to beat his ferret unconscious. They were supposed to be making mufflers, but Harry's ferret had taken a liking to the inside of his robes, and kept hiding in his pockets. The ferret bit him and went to Ron's pockets instead, watching Harry with a ridiculing expression. Harry glared at it and looked at Ron while nursing his hand.

"Well, I guess- I guess you heard about that ball, eh?" Ron said, his voice shaking a bit.

"Yeah, what about it?" Harry asked, wrapping his handkerchief around his hand.

"Well, I was thinking- I was thinking about asking Hermione."

Harry choked back a laugh and looked at Ron, his eyes glittering.

"Are you serious?" he said.

"Yes," Ron said indignantly. "Don't laugh. I mean, she might not say yes, but-"

"Who might not say yes?" Hermione asked. Ron looked at her and his ears flamed.

"Er...well I...er...well-" he sputtered. Sarah laughed.

"If you're going to have a private conversation you might do well to whisper through the whole thing," she said. "Now what were you talking about?"

"The Valentine's Day ball, I'll wager," Hermione said. "So who are you asking, Ron?"

"I don't know," he said rather too quickly. Hermione and Sarah laughed.

"Well, obviously you have some idea," Hermione said. "Seeing as how you said 'she might not say yes.' Who are you asking?"

"Why do you want to know?" Ron said defensively. Hermione's eyes glittered angrily.

"Because you're my friend and maybe- have you ever thought about this- I know more about the girls in this school than you, because I am one? Now just tell me, Ron, who do you want to ask?" she said.

"You!" Ron said loudly. "Alright? I wanted to ask you! Blimey, no need to get mad about it!"

There was silence, then Lavender and Parvati began to giggle. Dean and Seamus promptly ran up to Ron and slapped him on the back, laughing. Ron didn't notice, however. He was looking quite sick, and Hermione looked very surprised herself.

"You were going to ask me?" she said quietly. Ron nodded pathetically.

"Yep," he said, his voice hoarse. "So...er...will you go with me?"

Hermione looked at him and swallowed. Then she nodded, a smile creeping across her face. Ron sighed with relief and grinned. He looked at Harry.

"She said yes!" he said joyfully. "She actually said yes!"

Harry grinned, but before he could say anything McGonagall set them back to work, but not before she had smiled at Ron and Hermione.

The bell rang and the class began to filter out, and the Gryffindors headed to lunch.

"Sarah, I can't believe you took that ferret," Hermione said as they sat down.

"I didn't take him," Sarah said, pulling said ferret out of her bag and cradling it. It snuggled happily in her arms. "I asked first. McGonagall said I could have him. And I did turn him into a muffler. I just couldn't stand to leave him like that though."

"I'm surprised McGonagall let you keep it," Ron said.

"Him, Ron," Sarah corrected. "What should I name him?"

"What about Max?" Ron said.

"Max? What kind of name is that?" said Harry.

"Well, I like it," Ron said.

"I like Samhain," Sarah said. "See, he's got an orange-reddish tint to his fur...like a pumpkin. Yes, I'll call him Samhain. He can be Sam for short."

"Sam," Hermione said. "It's alright, I guess."

"Well, let's see what he thinks," Sarah said. She looked down at Sam and he looked up. "Do you like your new name, Sam?" In response, the ferret twitched his nose at her, and climbed up her arm and settled himself around her neck like a boa. Sarah laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You know, he's kind of cute," Hermione said.

"'Cept he's a weird sort of rat," Ron said. Hermione shot a scathing look at him.

"Firstly, Ron, he's not a rodent, he's a mammal," she said. "And may I remind you that you used to have a pet rat."

"That didn't count, he wasn't really a rat," Ron said. Ron's pet rat Scabbers had been revealed as Peter Pettigrew in their third year, and since then he had had a rather strong dislike for rodents of any kind.

"Oh well," Hermione said. "You still thought he was a rat."

"Yeah, but-"

"Yeah, but Sam isn't a rat, therefore your conversation is completely irrelevant," Sarah said, stroking Sam. Hermione and Ron looked at her, then shrugged. Harry grinned. Ron looked at Sarah.

"So, you had your first Potions lesson this morning? What d'ya think of Snape?" he said. Sarah shrugged, upsetting Sam, who snaked down into her lap and stole himself a carrot from her plate.

"He seems like someone who could have been very nice, except other influences in his life shaped him into the nasty, bitter man he is today," she said, taking a bite out of her mash. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "Nice" was a word they never thought they'd hear in a sentence about Snape. Soon the bell ran and they left the Great Hall to go to Charms.

* * *

"Today, we will be learning a charm called the Rien Charm. It's very much like a Vanishing Spell, but much easier to use," Flitwick squeaked from his pile of books. "The Vanishing Spell, as I'm sure Professor McGonagall told you last year, requires a lot of power and focus, while the Rien Charm is very fast and very simple, but very useful.

"The motion for the Rien Charm follows an almost circular pattern, thus," he said, demonstrating and swirling his arm in an anti-clockwise circle one time. "The incantation is _rien_. Well, there you go- begin!"

Hermione was the first to master the charm, as always, and surprisingly Harry and Ron got the hang of it quickly.

"Flitwick was right," Ron said, vanishing a feather. "This is a lot easier than that ruddy Vanishing Spell."

"_Rien_. Its fun," Sarah said, vanishing her third feather. "I could think of a few uses for this...like getting rid of bad food. I just wonder where it all goes." They all looked at Hermione, who shrugged.

"No one's really sure," she said. "But some wizards believe it's in another dimension and will soon return to this one and pile down on us." Harry, Ron and Sarah cringed and put their feathers away.

* * *

After dinner, the four went back to the common room, and Harry, Hermione and Sarah set about writing their essays for Snape. Sarah was done first. She beat Hermione merely because Hermione was writing her usual novel. Harry, however, was struggling. They'd been told to write two and a half feet on lavender, for some reason, but Harry couldn't seem to take it beyond twenty-four inches. He looked at Sarah for help.

"Sarah, will you read over my essay? Considering Hermione's busy," he said, looking at her. Hermione hadn't even noticed; she was bent over her parchment, scribbling furiously. Her hair would have been dragging in the ink if Ron hadn't tucked it under one of the woolen hats she'd made for house elves last year. Sarah took the essay and read over it, then pointed to the end.

"You've not talked about the celestial bodies and gods it's associated with," she said. "I can understand leaving it out, but now you've got nothing else to talk about. If you write a bunch of nonsense about Adonis and Venus and fill the conclusion with a lot of repeated facts you should be fine."

"Oh," Harry said, looking at it. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Sarah said. She watched him for a moment, as though expecting him to say something to her, and then stood up. "Well, I'm off to bed," she said. "G'night."

Harry and Ron mumbled goodnight. Hermione continued scribbling, not even noticing Ron catch the hat slipping off her bushy hair and replacing it.


	5. Of Detentions and Dancing

**A/N:** As you may have noticed, I've been editing and reposting the chapters so that they match the plot that I actually decided to develop! The reason this chapter as an author's note is because...well, I forgot to put them on earlier chapters and this chapter has been significantly edited to include the Harry and Malfoy detention that I had forgotten about the first time round. So, enjoy! Spiv

* * *

Harry scowled as he made his way down to the trophy room, where he and Malfoy would be serving their detention. When Ron had found out what Harry's assignment was, he'd burst out laughing. The only advice he'd been able to give was, "don't barf slugs all over the trophies," which hadn't been much help at all. Harry hadn't really needed advice anyway; he was perfectly used to ridiculously hard Muggle labor.

Malfoy was already there and already working. He motioned at a pile of cleaning supplies, identical to the things Malfoy was working out how to use. Mrs. Norris was prowling the room, watching them.

"She's here to make sure we don't use magic," Malfoy said blandly. Harry nodded, determined not to speak to him. He gathered up his supplies and started working in the corner farthest from where Malfoy was.

"I hear Weasley's going to the ball with Granger," Malfoy said, almost conversationally. Harry stubbornly ignored him. "It could be a good thing, you know. Maybe she'll figure out a way for them to make more money…she's certainly clever enough…"

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," Harry said tersely. "I don't want to talk to you and you don't want to talk to me, so just shut it."

"That's not true. I want to talk to you about a lot of things," Malfoy said, picking up his bucket of suds and coming over to Harry's corner. Harry scowled but didn't move. He knew Malfoy would just follow him and he figured he might as well finish the cleaning he'd started over here, rather than forget about it and get in more trouble when he didn't go back to it.

"No one's asked Sarah yet, I imagine?" Malfoy continued, his voice strangely placid. Harry didn't think he'd ever heard that kind of tone in Malfoy's voice, except maybe when he was talking to Sarah. It was a little unnerving.

"No," Harry said curtly. Malfoy nodded.

"I assumed as much. Are you going to—"

He was cut off as Harry jumped up, almost spilling his bucket, and glared down at the blonde boy below him. Mrs. Norris hissed a warning, but Harry ignored her.

"What do you want, Malfoy? What the hell are you up to?" he yelled. Malfoy blinked up at him.

"I'm not _up_ to anything, Potter," Malfoy said, also standing. "I just want to know how Sarah's doing and what's happening in her House. Believe me, Potter, everything's out of my hands now."

"She's fine," Harry snapped immediately. He turned back to the trophy he'd been working on, scrubbed in quickly, and gathered his supplies. He trudged to the opposite side of the room and went back to cleaning, furiously scouring the trophies and almost knocking a few over in his zeal. Malfoy shook his head and turned back to the unfinished section Harry had left.

Neither of them spoke again.

* * *

With the Valentine's Ball only a week away, Harry found Hogwarts in a shambles, much like it had been prior to the Yule Ball. Girls were running all over the place, experimenting with new cosmetics as well as magic spells. One girl went so far as to cast a spell on herself that magnetically attracted all the males in a fifty-foot radius to her, causing them to fly from their positions and stick to her. It caused all the boys in the school to start skipping their classes for fear of coming near her, and became such a problem that she was forced to remove the spell and was given detention.

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Hermione said one day during lunch. "It's just a ball...and you're not required to have a date."

"Easy for you to say, you already have one," Parvati said bitterly. She and Lavender had yet to find dates, and had taken to throwing glares at Hermione regularly. Hermione just shook her head.

"I'd actually prefer to go without a date," Sarah said. "Less restriction. Besides, the only boys I know well enough to go are Draco, Ron, and you, Harry. And since Ron has a date and I would never go with Draco, that only leaves Harry. But I guess Harry'll be going with that pretty girl from the entrance hall, right, Harry?" Her tone had the slightest edge to it, but Harry shrugged.

"I dunno who I'll go with," he said. "It might be Cho, it might be someone else. I don't know yet and I don't intend upon making a decision anytime soon."

However, he found himself wanting to make a decision simply to get some peace. As with the Yule Ball, girls were seeking him out and asking him, sometimes in large groups. He was actually tackled once by a large group of fifth year Hufflepuffs and Sarah had to save him by threatening to give them acne.

"Thanks for that," he said, standing up and brushing himself off. "I thought I was about to suffocate..."

"You'd better get yourself a date quick, Harry," Sarah said. "Or you very well might."

"I know, I know," Harry said. "But I don't want to go with just anyone, especially not someone who tries to throttle me."

"Well, Cho hasn't tried to throttle you, has she?" Sarah said a bit coldly.

"No...she's just thrown herself in my path every chance she gets," Harry said with a derisive snort. "I must tell you, Sarah, last year I fancied her very much, but this year...not so much."

"Well, what happened last year?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know exactly...she was a bit confused about her feelings, I suppose, and it just...got out of control...and didn't work. She got mad at me," Harry said, shrugging.

"Then why is she chasing after you like you're a bloody finish line?" Sarah asked.

"Hell if I know," Harry said. "Girls are weird..."

"I'm a girl, Harry," Sarah said after a moment. "Am I weird?"

"No, no, you're perfectly reasonable," Harry said. "If all girls were like you, the world would be better, I think."

Sarah laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment rather than a slight on my gender," she said. "Now come on, let's get you to safety." Harry agreed quickly, as a large posse of third years had rounded the corner and begun to squeal.

* * *

"So Harry," Seamus said one Friday night in the common room. Harry and Ron were sitting in their chairs by the fire doing built up homework, while Hermione and Sarah were looking at different sorts of fabrics for dress robes. They'd made a pact with each other that they would make their own.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, a bit disgruntled. His essay on Venus for Astronomy had hit a standstill. He needed at least another paragraph...maybe he could mention something about lavender...

"You going to ask Sarah to the ball?" Seamus asked.

"Why would I do that? Girl like her wouldn't go with me," Harry mumbled, not really paying attention to the conversation. Seamus and Ron laughed, but didn't say anything because Hermione had come over to Ron's chair with a scrap of fabric and a picture.

"What do you think of that one?" she asked him while Seamus sniggered behind his hand.

"I like it," Ron said.

"What about the color?" Hermione asked.

"I like that too," Ron said.

"Well, do you think I ought to alter it a bit? I mean, about the neckline, do you think I ought to change that a bit-"

"Hermione! I don't care that much about what you wear, alright? You'll look good in it just as it is!" Ron said loudly. Hermione looked surprised, then smiled.  
"Why- thank you, Ron," she said, and kissed him on the cheek before going back over to Sarah. Ron watched her for a moment, then shook his head.

"Women," he said. "They baffle me."

"They baffle us all, mate," Seamus said. "Good luck with her."

"Oh Seamus, who're you going with?" Harry asked, looking up.

"Going stag," Seamus said. "Then, I've got nothing to worry about if I wanna flirt a bit, eh?" he added with a roguish wink. Ron laughed.

"You'd best watch yourself," he said. "Those girls are nasty sometimes. Downright ruthless."

"And I value your advice, mate," Seamus said. "Talk to you later- get yourself a date, Harry, you're not the flirting sort, so you'd best have someone on your arm."

"Right," Harry mumbled, returning to his essay. He finished it in large handwriting and set down his quill with a satisfied flourish. "Finished! Finally. Now a weekend of freedom- that'll feel good."

"It'll feel better knowing you won't look foolish standing on the side while everyone else dances," Ron said. "Just ask her-"

"Fine!" Harry said. "I'll ask her tomorrow."

"Good," Ron said, looking highly pleased with himself.

* * *

The next day was a fine, sunny day, but very cold, and most of the students preferred to stay inside over being blinded by the sun reflecting the snow. Most of the girls could be found comparing their robes for the ball, or talking about hairstyles or other such girlish things, while most of the boys were trying to pack in last minute dance lessons from girls like Sarah. Neville was one of these.

"I mean, I know I don't have a date," he said to Harry one day, "but it never hurts to know how."

Sarah wasn't the only one giving dance lessons. Cho was as well, and she tended to follow Sarah, knowing that Harry hung around her a lot. They were tutoring in the entrance hall on the day Harry intended to ask Sarah to the ball, and he went to this place to wait for the opportune moment to ask. He stood there for a moment, watching Sarah show Neville which foot did what, but he hadn't been there long when Cho swooped down on him.

"Hello, Harry," she said. "Would you like a dance lesson?"

"Er- no, that's alright," he stuttered, but Cho paid no attention to him. She slipped her arms round him and dragged him into a clear area, and began to dance him round the room. He noticed Sarah pause in her dance with Neville, but she sniffed in something like contempt and continued.

"So Harry, have you decided who you're going with yet?" Cho asked.

"No, I don't think I'll go with anyone-"

"Oh that's silly, Harry," she said. "It's a Valentine's day ball, you've got to have a date."

"Says who?" Harry said, getting a bit annoyed.

"Come on, Harry, it'll be so much more fun-"

"I really don't think so, I'd much rather go with friends-"

"Well we're friends aren't we? And I heard Ron is going with Hermione, and they're friends, so it could work, we could go together-"

"Cho, I-"

"So you'll go with me?"

"Er-"

"Oh thank you, Harry!" Cho said. Harry tried to protest but before he could say another word she kissed him full on the mouth.

"Ow!"

Cho released Harry and they looked over at Neville and Sarah. Neville was holding his hand and glaring at Sarah, who was glaring at Cho with an immense sort of hatred in her eyes, of such a kind that Harry had only seen it once before...when Dumbledore had revealed the imposter Moody as Barty Crouch Jr. in fourth year.

"Sarah," he gasped. "It's not what you think-"

"It doesn't matter what I think," Sarah said icily. She turned and began to walk up the stairs. Harry ran over and grabbed her arm, trying to force her to look at him, but she whipped out her wand and pointed it at him.

"_Extundo_!" she snarled, and Harry was thrown backwards violently. Sarah glared at him.

"I thought you were different, Harry. You told me you didn't fancy her anymore," she hissed. "I never would have guessed you were a liar."

She turned around and stomped her way up the stairs and out of sight. Harry watched her go with a sinking feeling and he stood up, rubbing his chest. That spell had been painful.

"So, Harry, are we still on for- for the ball?" Cho said meekly. Harry looked at her incredulously.

"Cho," he said. "I don't want to go to the ball with you. I don't like you like that. Being friends with you is fine, but Cho, I don't fancy you!" Without waiting for her response Harry stormed up the stairs. I have to find Sarah and explain things, he thought...


	6. Subtlety's the Game

**A/N:** Continuing the reposting and such. Edits include reformating, obviously, and adding a bit more as far as things like Hermione's character goes. So, enjoy! Spiv

* * *

Sarah flung herself into the common room and over to Hermione, who was sitting with Ron by the fireplace.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Did Malfoy do something?" Ron asked angrily. Sarah shook her head.

"No, it was something much worse," she said. "But I wanted to tell you that I'm going for a walk and ask you not to tell Harry where I've gone. Will you do that?"

"Er-" Ron began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Of course we won't tell him," Hermione asked.

"Thank you," Sarah said as Sam scampered up her arm. "I'll see you at dinner."

She turned and walked out of the common room. Ron looked at Hermione, who glared at him.

"Did you tell Harry to do something?" she asked.

"I told him to ask her to the ball, is that a crime?" Ron said.

"Well, he obviously didn't," Hermione said. "Otherwise she wouldn't have been coming in here looking all angry."

Ron opened his mouth, but he was cut off as Harry flew wildly into the common room. He flung himself over to where Ron and Hermione were, gasping for breath.

"Has she been here?" he panted.

"No," Hermione said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Harry said. He turned to run back out the common room but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Harry, you're going to stay right here and tell us what's going on or I will be forced to hex you," she said. This was a formidable threat, so Harry ceased in his wild escape attempt and sat down with a sigh.

"Fine," he said. "You know how Sarah and Cho have been giving dancing lessons? Well they were teaching just now and I went down there to wait for the time to ask her, right? Well Cho grabs me and starts dancing with me, and before I know it she's said I'm going to the ball with her and kissed me! And Sarah-"

"Saw it and flipped?" Hermione said. Harry nodded morosely.

"She even called me a liar," he said. He looked at Hermione. "Can you go find her and talk to her? You understand girls better than us-"

"Because I am a girl," Hermione said sternly.

"Exactly!" Harry said. "Can you please, please go explain things to her?"

Hermione sighed.

"I suppose I'll try," she said. "I'll see you at dinner."

She left the common room and Ron looked at Harry.

"You're not having very good luck, are you, mate?" he said. Harry shook his head.

* * *

Hermione quickly found Sarah sitting with Sam outside the library. She looked up when she heard Hermione approaching. She stood up.

"He sent you after me, didn't he?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "And he told me what happened."

"You mean he told you he was snogging Cho Chang?" Sarah said with a bitter edge to her tone.

"He said he came to the dance lesson to ask you to the ball," Hermione said. "But Cho, who for some reason fancies him again, grabbed him and told him he was going to the ball with her and had kissed him."

Sarah laughed.

"I don't know if I should believe that," she said.

"I do," Hermione said. "Harry's never lied to us before, not about something like that."

Sarah looked at her.

"So, you're saying I should believe him?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

Sarah sighed and rubbed Samhain's head. She looked up at Hermione and grinned.

"He was going to ask me to the ball?" she said. Hermione grinned back and nodded.

"Now come on," she said, "we've got to finish our robes! There's only a week until the ball!"

Sarah laughed and stood up, racing Hermione back to the common room. Hermione followed less enthusiastically. Her thoughts were racing. Considering how angry she'd been, Sarah had been very easy to convince of Harry's innocence. Either her moods were always exaggerated, or she saw reason well…or something entirely different was going on.

* * *

Harry and Ron were already in the Great Hall for dinner when Hermione and Sarah bounced in wearing very satisfied looks. Harry braced himself for Sarah's wrath, but it didn't come. Instead, she kissed his cheek as he sat down.

"Well, Harry," she said. "You've got a lot to thank Hermione for. Because of her, I've decided to forgive you."

Harry sighed with relief.

"And," Hermione said. "We've finished our robes."

"Excellent," Ron said. "You'll have to show us back in the common room."

"No," Sarah said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You're not to see them until the night of the ball," Hermione said. Ron looked at her, his face the image of indignation.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

"It's a tradition," Hermione said. "Like weddings, the groom's not to see the bride in her gown until she walks down the aisle?"

"I can show you mine," Sarah said. "Since I've not got a date."

"Yes well, er...about that," Harry said, wincing as Ron kicked him under the table. "I was wondering if…"

He trailed off as the food appeared. He quickly stuffed a great amount of green beans into his mouth, shrugging as Ron glared at him. Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed, reaching for her own food. Hermione watched Sarah discreetly, a very thoughtful look on her face.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sarah sat in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom waiting for the teacher, Lamia Teres, on the Monday before the ball.

She came in soon, tall, pale and beautiful, with long silky black hair and dressed in black, flowing robes that reminded Harry of Snape, but much more elegant and soft. The lights dimmed as soon as she entered, as they always did, and the black shades fluttered down to cover the windows.

"Welcome, class," she said in a sultry voice, her black eyes glittering. "Today, we'll be looking at a little history. But before we start, Sarah, welcome to our class."

Sarah nodded to her, looking a little intimidated. Professor Teres nodded in return and looked at the class again.

"As we all know from the History of Magic classes you don't pay attention to, witches and wizards have been persecuted immensely in the past," Teres said. "Today we'll be looking at some of the ways they would test a woman to see if she was a witch."

"Why not men?" Lavender asked. Professor Teres looked at her, then looked at her class.

"A very good question," she said. "Why not men? Why were women thought more likely to have pacts with the "Devil," who was the believed root of all witchcraft? Would anyone like to try to answer that question?"

Hermione instantly raised her hand, and Professor Teres smiled at her.

"Hermione?"

"Religiously, women were thought to be the bearers of 'original sin'," Hermione said. "Because they were weaker than men, and more easily persuaded and seduced by the Devil."

"Yes," Teres said. "Now, it was believed that the Devil placed a mark on his servants, and especially on the ones he thought might deny him if revealed. Think about it. If you were a servant of the devil and the Church found out, and you were accused, how many of you would agree? Raise your hands."

Everyone in the class looked around at their classmates to see who raised their hands, but no one did. Teres nodded.

"You see? So whether you said yes or not, you'd be stripped and your body would be searched for the Devil's Mark.

"The nature of the Devil's Mark varied. It could be in any sort of image but was usually an animal or something related to an animal. In fact, this was almost always the case, and usually reflected the stature of the individual in the Devil's service. It could be found in such places as under the eyelids, armpits, lips, shoulders, or for the women, the privates or breasts, don't laugh," Teres said sternly, her eyes glittering at the glass. The giggling ceased immediately. "Occasionally it could even be found right out in front on such places as the forearm, usually the left," she added with a significant glance at Harry.

"The Devil's Mark was not the only mark witch hunters looked for. They also looked for something called the Witch's Mark, which signified a pact between the Devil and a witch, bonding her—or him—in service to the Devil. However, these weren't believed to have a specific shape," Teres continued. "Both the Devil's and the Witch's Mark could be signified as scars, warts, acne, moles, freckles, birthmarks or any other sort of visible blemish. "There is however one exception to this rule. Does anyone know it?" Teres asked. Hermione's hand shot up once more, and Teres smiled at her.

"Let's let someone else answer, Hermione," she said. Hermione put her hand down reluctantly, but as Teres scanned the room, no one put their hand up. She sighed. "Come now," she said. "If no one volunteers, I shall have to pick someone."

Three hands went up, belonging to Sarah, Neville and Harry. Teres looked at Neville and smiled gently.

"Yes, Neville?" she asked.

"I think it was- Hermione told me once for a History of Magic quiz," he said, his face thoughtful. "Something about skin that won't bleed?"

"That's exactly it," Teres said. "Yes, the Witch's Mark was also believed to be a spot of normal looking skin that won't bleed when pricked and where no pain could be felt. Witch hunters used bodkins, or pins, to prick skin. However, this method was not to be trusted. Can anyone tell me why?" Sarah raised her hand and Teres nodded to her.

"The bodkins were made so that the pin retracted into the handle when pushed against something," she said. Teres nodded again.

"Exactly. Now, for the rest of the class I'd like you to research tools and methods of determining if one was a witch, and write a foot and a half essay on it for next Monday," she said with a smile. "I'll give five points extra credit for every five inches you go over. You must have at least five inches, by the way. This is not a point per inch extra credit opportunity."

There was a rustle as people got out their books and parchment. When the bell rang, Professor Teres dismissed them and Sarah looked at Hermione as they left the room.

"Is she a vampire?" she asked. Hermione nodded.

"We're all sure of it," she said. She looked at Harry. "I think she gave us this lesson for a reason."

"I'm sure she did," Harry said. "I just hope everyone else got the hint."

"What hint?" Sarah asked. Harry looked at Hermione, who sighed and began to explain.

"Voldemort marks his Death Eaters with a skull and a snake on their left forearm," she said. "Most of them are really good at getting out of things, though. The Dark Mark is a surefire way to tell, especially since he's back, but not a lot of people know about it."

Sarah nodded, flicking her left wrist in an almost unnoticeable motion—Hermione's eyes caught the whip of her robe sleeve and she narrowed her eyes at it.

"I see. But, she couldn't say anything about it, eh?" she asked. "Not directly."

"No, parents would get upset," Ron said. "They're already raving mad that Teres's a vampire."

"I see," Sarah said again, and they made their way to the library to work on the essay during lunch. None of them wanted to worry about it after the Ball on Sunday.

* * *

"Harry. Harry, wake up!"

Harry rolled over in bed, blinking his sleepy eyes at the figure before him. He put his glasses on and continued to blink at Hermione.

"'Mione? What're you doin' here?" he mumbled. "What time s'it?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Sarah," Hermione said. "I think there's something suspicious about her."

"Wha?" Harry said, squinting at her. "Nah…you're just o-o-over-thinking things," he added, stifling a yawn. "Go back to bed, Hermione."

And much to Hermione's indignation, he rolled over and went back to sleep.


	7. Can There be Betrayal Without Trust?

Sarah wandered back into the library after dinner to think about her situation.

The Valentine's Ball was in three days, and she felt relatively sure that Harry was going to ask her soon...he had given her the impression that he would. He almost had the one day at dinner. And, she wanted to go with him...but...

She also hadn't forgotten Draco. Draco was her first and best friend; he was the only thing she had that rooted her to who she had been before this whole mess started. He was her anchor, her rock. She sighed...if Draco asked her, who would she go with? Would she wait for Harry's invitation or accept Draco's?

_Maybe you should ask Hermione_, a little voice told her. She shook her head. Hermione would tell her to go with Harry...or, she would tell her to follow her heart, which wouldn't help her at all.

She walked around in the Charms section for a bit, then read something in French called _Les situations dans lequel la Métamorphose sont Nécessaires._ She supposed it would have been interesting if she could understand it...she put it back on the shelf and moved to near the Restricted Section...

"Sickle for your thoughts?"

Sarah turned around and saw Draco standing there, looking at her with an almost wistful expression.

"It's been awhile, Sarah," he said softly. Sarah swallowed.

"Yeah, Draco, it has," she agreed. Draco kept watching her with that strange expression, like he'd lost something but was determined to get it back. It was so unnerving that Sarah almost shied away from it.

"How have you been?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. Sarah wanted to back up but didn't move. She licked her lips nervously. Draco's eyes were boring into her, and she felt strangely like she was naked, like he was seeing the very inside of her.

"I've been- I've been good," she said, her voice growing a bit high-pitched.

"What's wrong, Sarah? You seem...afraid of me...I hope that's not the case," Draco said, his voice smooth and strangely seductive as he took another step towards Sarah. There was now only about an inch of space between them, and Sarah felt the urge to step back grow, but she resisted it.

"No, it's- it's not that," Sarah said meekly.

Draco watched her for a moment, then reached out, seized her waist and pulled her to him. He leaned forward.

"Sarah, I've missed you...don't you remember...we used to do everything together. Even during the school year, we wrote each other all the time," he hissed in her ear. "I'd hoped that we wouldn't lose that when you came to Hogwarts."

Sarah had been ready to pull away and run when she felt something wet on her cheek...she realized that it was a tear...more than one...Draco's tears. She pulled back a little bit and looked up into his face, surprised. She'd never seen Draco cry...She lifted a finger and gently wiped away one of the tears that were slowly making their way down his cheek.

"Draco...Draco, why are you crying? I didn't forget you," she said. "I just- I guess I just got caught up in all the new things."

Draco reached up and began twirling a few strands of her hair.

"That's understandable...Hogwarts is probably a far cry from Durmstrang," he mumbled. Sarah laughed a little and looked into his grey-green eyes.

"Well, no, not really just a little more light-hearted," she said. "It's much better, really. At least I'm in the same school as you for once."

Draco's eyes lit up for a moment, and he opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it and shook his head. Sarah looked at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Draco said. "Just- well..."

He paused and looked at her expectant face, and swallowed.

"I was wondering if you had a date for the Valentine's Day Ball," he said.

Sarah's eyes widened in surprise...hadn't she just been thinking about what she would do if he asked her? She'd been thinking she'd go with Draco if he asked her, but now that he had...she was hesitating. It was Draco's turn to be expectant. He was watching her, an almost pleading expression on his face. She sighed, then smiled.

"No, I don't," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Draco said, a smirk beginning to take its usual place on his face. "I was hoping you'd find it in your heart to go with me."

"Of course I would," Sarah said, smiling. The only thing weighing her heart down was what she would do if Harry asked her.

Draco laughed with something that sounded like relief and leaned in so close that his and Sarah's lips were barely an inch apart, and Sarah thought for a moment that he was going to kiss her, but instead he drew back and kissed her on the cheek. He ruffled her hair a bit and left the library.

Sarah found herself strangely glad that he was gone...she'd seen a side of him just now that she'd never seen before, and it had scared her a bit. It was the side that Harry brought out in him, she gathered. Draco never had to compete for things at home…here it was always a competition. She sighed and left the library, making her way back to Gryffindor tower, thinking about what had just happened.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were waiting for her when she entered the portrait hole. She looked at them, surprised.

"You guys didn't have to stay up," she said.

"Eh, we do it all the time when Harry stays out," Ron said. "Besides, he has something to ask you."

And he gave Harry a very pointed look. Harry sighed, as though bracing himself, and Sarah raised her eyebrows. He was going to ask her to the dance when she'd just said yes to Draco...Harry would be so angry with her. Hermione saw the expression on Sarah's face and made frantic gestures at Harry to not say anything, but Harry didn't notice.

"Sarah, I was wondering if you'd go the ball with me," he said.

Sarah let out a heavy sigh and looked at him almost apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said. "I just- Draco just asked- and I- I said yes t-to him."

She said this and ran up to the girl's dormitory. She didn't want to see the look on Harry's face, which was somewhere between hurt and anger as he watched her run up the stairs. Hermione smacked her forehead, almost immediately beginning to massage it, like she was thinking very hard. She glanced up at the stairs to the girls' dormitory a couple of times, chewing on her lip. However, her position seemed to go unnoticed by her friends.

"She's going with Malfoy?" Harry said incredulously, turning back to Ron and Hermione. "Even after that slime lied to her?"

"Well you've got to understand, Harry, she's lived her entire life with him. She's not going to drop him entirely just because of one thing," Hermione said, deciding not to voice her opinions now. "And it might do Malfoy some good, I mean, I think he really may love her or something. She could have a good effect on him."

"I guess she's right, Harry," Ron said. "Let's just see how this turns out- even though I find it highly unbelievable that Malfoy could love anyone except himself."

"Well, Pansy won't be happy," Hermione said. "He took her to the Yule Ball in fourth year and she's been attached to him ever since."

"Yeah, but Sarah's much prettier," Ron said. "If I were Malfoy- ugh- I'd ask Sarah as well."

"That's true," Hermione said.

"Can you both shut up?" Harry said. Hermione and Ron looked at him, surprised, then nodded and fell silent.

Harry was very annoyed. He was convinced that Malfoy was only doing this because he, Harry, had been planning to ask Sarah. It was just the type of low thing Malfoy would do. Harry couldn't believe that Malfoy loved Sarah, as Hermione said he might. Malfoy had no heart; he couldn't love anyone but himself.

Ron looked like he very much wanted to say something, but seriously doubted whether he'd survive if he did.

"No, Harry, don't bite my head off or anything. I just want to say this- Sarah's learned quite a bit about her life recently. You're going to have to let her explore both sides, yours and Malfoy's, in this new light. It'll be easiest for her to make a decision that way," he said. "And I don't think you really have anything to worry about, I mean- Sarah obviously fancies you."

"Why Ron," Hermione said, looking at him with a surprised expression on her face. "That almost sounded...intelligent."

Ron's ears flamed and he grinned sheepishly.

"Really?" he asked...then the expression on his face changed. "Hey- are you saying I'm not intelligent!"

"Well, Ron, you have to admit you're not the brightest bean in the bag-"

"Beans have absolutely nothing to do with my intelligence! Why for all you know I could be some kind of prodigy, I just don't apply myself-"

"Darling, you couldn't apply yourself if you tried, I've tried for years to help you "apply yourself" and even I have failed miserably in that respect-"

"That doesn't mean I'm not smart, it just means I'm a lazy bugger-"

"Being lazy versus being active is part of applying oneself, Ron, and applying oneself reflects one's intelligence-"

"It reflects it, maybe, but if someone doesn't it doesn't mean it's not there-"

"No it just means they don't take enough pride in themselves to try-"

"Oh, so now I don't have any pride in myself?" Ron asked, rising from his chair and quite furious. "Well I'll have you know I'm quite proud of myself and my accomplishments thus far! And for another thing, if you don't think I'm smart enough for you or you have a problem with my pride, then you can just go to the ball with SOMEONE ELSE!"

He turned on his heel and stomped off and up to the boy's dormitories, leaving Hermione near to tears. She looked over at Harry, who was shocked quite senseless by the proceedings. She then buried her face in her hands and ran up to the girl's dormitories.

Harry was now quite alone, but he didn't feel like going upstairs and listening to Ron rant and rave about Hermione's nagging, so he remained where he was, staring at the fire.

This solitude, coupled with Harry's exhaustion, allowed him to realize that Ron was right. Sarah needed to see the best and worst of both sides so that her decision could be made. Well, Harry knew that Malfoy and the like were quite good at manipulation, so Harry figured he'd simply have to be frank with Sarah at all times, but not in an offensive way. He'd have to make sure she knew the truth of things...he'd have to be there when she needed him...he'd have to be understanding...then she'd see how much better he was than Malfoy- and she'd forget all about him!

_That's it, Harry_, he thought. _Bravo- you'll win her back, just watch..._

And he rambled to himself in this vein all the way up the stairs and until he fell asleep.

* * *

Harry was woken up the next morning by someone gently prodding him, and when he opened his eyes he managed to divine from the blurry shape before him that it was female with dark hair, and when he put his glasses on he saw that it was Sarah, looking almost fearful.

"Harry?" she said. "Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Draco...I mean, I knew you were going to ask me, he just asked first and I didn't know what to do-"

Harry held a finger to her lips to silence her.

_Remember Harry_, he coached himself. _Understanding_.

"Don't worry about it, Sarah," he said. "I understand completely...and I can deal with it."

Sarah's eyes sort of lit up with relief, and Harry made a mental note to congratulate himself later.

"Wow...thanks, Harry," she said, smiling. "That's very mature of you...thanks very much for understanding; that makes me feel so much better."

"You're welcome, Sarah," he said. He looked around and realized he was still in pajamas, so he added, "Well- I ought to get dressed, I suppose- see you at breakfast?"

Sarah blushed a bit and nodded.

"Right," she said. "See you in a bit."

"See you," Harry said as she left the dormitory. He sighed and got out of bed, and made his way down to the Great Hall after yanking some clothes on. Sarah waved him over, and Harry laughed as he spotted Hermione and Ron on either side of her, speaking to her but not to each other. It reminded him fiercely of when he and Ron had been fighting, and Hermione had been in Sarah's place. Sarah didn't look troubled by it though- she just sat there and let them talk away.

He sat down across from Sarah and began to help himself to breakfast.

"So, I guess Hermione and Ron still aren't talking?" he said conversationally. Sarah laughed.

"Oh they're talking alright," she said. "Just not addressing each other, they're addressing me instead. I just sit here and let them speak over me...or to me...or through me, or something of that sort." Harry laughed and took a bite of his porridge.

"That sounds about right," he said. "They do that a lot."

Sarah looked from a smoldering Hermione to a flame-eared Ron and laughed.

"I'm really not surprised," she said. Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, remained stubbornly oblivious to Harry and Sarah's conversation.

It was a sunny Saturday but the only people to be found outside were the boys of Hogwarts. All of the girls were inside making last minute adjustments to their robes and cosmetics. Harry, however, wasn't too keen on being outside with snow coupled with sun. So instead, he stayed up in the common room, sprawled over an armchair.

He'd taken a walk after a bit and stopped at the boy's lavatory, and while he was washing his hands none other than Malfoy walked in. Harry tried to restrain himself from yelling at him about Sarah. He did quite well until Malfoy was almost out the door, at which point Harry grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him about.

"Look Malfoy, I don't know what you're up to asking Sarah to that ball-" he began, but Malfoy cut him off.

"Lay off, Potter," he snapped. "I asked her because I wanted to go with her. I'm not up to anything. I told you that ages ago."

"Yeah right," Harry spat. He couldn't believe it- just couldn't. Malfoy had no heart. He had to be up to something...right?

"Yeah, I am right," Malfoy said, glaring indignantly at Harry. "You're not the only one with emotions here, Potter. I've lived with Sarah all my life, and I know her better than you ever could. You think you love her, Potter, but you don't. You love what you see. And don't tell me Sarah is open and honest...she's not as sincere as you might think."

He turned again to leave, but Harry instinctively reached out to stop him. He let go right away, though, and pushed past Malfoy with a sneer.

I'm not going to let you take her away from me, Malfoy, he thought viciously...but he wondered what Malfoy meant...

_She's not as sincere as you might think._

Harry shook his head and went back to the common room. Malfoy just didn't know what he was talking about...that was all...besides, Harry had to go to sleep...he didn't really care, but he didn't want to look completely unkempt at the ball tomorrow night.


	8. Chapter 8

When he got to the common room, however, he found yet another thing to deter him from his rest. Sarah was sitting in one of the armchairs with a sobbing Hermione, doing her best to comfort her but getting absolutely nowhere. From what Harry could make out of her ramblings, Hermione was convinced that she was a terrible person and that no one would ever marry her. He sighed and walked over to sit on the arm of the chair.

"Aw, Hermione, cheer up," he said. "You know how Ron is, he'll have forgotten all about it by tomorrow night." Sarah nodded.

"He's right, Hermione," she said. "And if he doesn't, well he can just sit there alone and be bloody jealous."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Remember how mad he got at the Yule Ball when you were with Krum? Well he'll feel ten times worse this time...'cause he had you, and then he ruined it."

"No, Harry, I ruined it!" Hermione said. "I'm the one who was nagging him about his grades! If I hadn't been insulting him he'd still be going to the ball with me!" She began sobbing anew with the thought, and Harry and Sarah looked at one another, at a loss.

"And everyone in Gryffindor knew we were going, and it'll be so humiliating tomorrow when I show up alone!" Hermione cried. Sarah looked down at her, then up at Harry.

"Well, maybe Harry could go with you," she said, looking pointedly at him. Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head at her, but she continued.

"Or he could at least escort you," she said. "How does that sound?"

Hermione sniffed.

"I suppose that'd be better than nothing," she said. She looked up at him. "Would you, Harry?"

"Sure, I'll escort you," he said. It was the least he could do...Hermione was obviously very distraught about not having a date. Hermione smiled, getting teary again. Harry stood up so she didn't hug him and shoved his hands into his robe pockets.

"Thanks very much, Harry," she said.

"No problem," Harry said. He glanced at Sarah, but she was looking at the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione followed her gaze and saw Ron standing there, looking quite beside himself. He glared at Harry and shook his head, then stormed his way off to the dormitory. Harry glanced at Sarah and Hermione, who jerked their heads after him- well, Sarah did. Hermione had started sobbing again.

Harry sighed and followed Ron up to the dormitory, but when he got there he didn't see his best friend- he saw the hangings of his bed closed, though. Harry walked over to the bed and stood next to it for about five minutes or so, then Ron angrily pushed back the hangings and glared up at Harry.

"You spiv!" he yelled. Harry looked back at him, completely caught off-guard.

"What? What are you on about?" he asked.

"I know what you're up to! You've been waiting all along for me to drop Hermione so you could take her!" Ron snarled. Harry would have laughed if it hadn't been for the look on Ron's face.

"Are you mad? You know I fancy Sarah! Besides, me'n Hermione have been friends for too long for anything like that," Harry said. "She's all yours, mate."

"Oh no. I have the gen! You probably got all depressed 'bout Sarah and Malfoy on purpose, so I'd say something like that 'cause you knew she'd say something like what she did!" Ron growled, unrelenting.

"Ron, I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about, mate!" Harry yelled back, getting a little annoyed. What was Ron's problem? "You're being dim, Ron. If this is 'cause I agreed to escort her to the ball, I only did that 'cause she was cryin' so much about you! I was trying to cheer her up!"

Ron glared at him, but didn't say anything...he'd been beaten, so rather than keep looking like a fool he closed his hangings. Harry waited a bit longer, than said:

"Ron? Do you wanna go with Hermione again now?"

"Get lost, Harry!" was the reply.

Harry shrugged and complied, going back to the common room chuckling. Hermione and Sarah were still there, and when he sat down next to them Sarah looked at him.

"Well? Why's he so wound up?" she asked. Harry laughed.

"All I have to say is he's really off his trolley- thinks I'm out to nick Hermione," he said. Hermione looked up, baffled, and Sarah laughed.

"But- well that's- thick," Hermione said. "He knows you wanted to go with Sarah- oh, whatever. I'm going to go to bed. G'night." Sarah sighed as she watched Hermione tramp up the stairs.

"I really hope this doesn't last much longer. Their rowing is complete rubbish- anyway, I'm quite knackered as well, so off to bed. I'll see you tomorrow," she said. She gave Harry a quick little hug and trotted up to the dormitories, leaving Harry alone, again, with only the prospected of going up to his own dormitory and facing a highly narked Ron. Still, it'd be more comfortable sleeping in his own bed rather than the common room, so he relented and went upstairs.

The next morning the castle was all abuzz with feverish excitement, and Harry was reminded of various events in his history at Hogwarts...tense Quidditch games...the Triwizard Tournament...the Yule Ball....

He dressed quickly in something comfortable and made his way down to breakfast, finding very few people there and all of them male. He spotted Ron at the far end of the Gryffindor table with his head in his hands and walked over to him.

"Hiya," Harry said, grabbing a piece of toast.

"Morning," Ron said morosely. He looked up at Harry, who was happily munching his toast. "Look mate, I'm sorry about yesterday...."

"Don't worry about it, Ron," Harry said. "I understand."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I was really nasty to you, I mean, callin' you a spiv and all," Ron said. "I know you would never steal Hermione...I really cocked up."

"It's nothing, Ron," Harry said. "Just don't worry about it. So, are you gonna beg her forgiveness?"

"'Course I am," Ron said. "Soon as she comes down...if she does, that is. If not I suppose I'll just go on up to her."

"That's good," Harry said. "'Cause she was really worked up about losing you and everything. And I think Sarah was getting pretty tired of tellin' her the same things over and over again."

"What things?" Ron asked.

"'Bout how you were such a git," Harry said, grinning. Ron shoved him but was grinning as well. He reached over and grabbed his own piece of toast.

"Well I suppose that fixed her right up," he said.

"Yeah, I s'pose it did," Harry said.

"Oh, and Harry, you sure you're gonna be alright about tonight?" Ron asked, suddenly serious.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked.

"I mean 'bout Malfoy and all," Ron said. Harry shrugged. Really it did bother him...but he wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of knowing that.

"I think he's just gagging," he said. "That, plus he's doing it to spite me." Ron shrugged.

"I suppose," he said, and took another bite of his toast before standing up.

"Well, I'm gonna try my luck with Hermione," he said. Harry laughed.

"Best of British to you, mate," he said. Ron grimaced.

"Cheers," he said. He waved and left the Great Hall.

Harry sat there for a bit, munching his toast and looking up at the cloudy ceiling. It was a good thing the ball was indoors, because it looked like it'd be dark and stormy all day. He was watching the massive bulk of clouds when he noticed a lot of people around him turning and looking at the teachers' table, where he saw Professor Teres. She was never present at breakfast, only dinner...and she was talking to Dumbledore and McGonagall, both of them looking very serious.

I wonder what that's all about, Harry thought.

A tall, slender, cloaked figure stood in the midst of a large, empty valley in Scotland. Not doing anything, simply standing. He remembered this valley...this was the place where his daughter had been conceived.

He'd thought she'd die. Thought she'd be perfectly useless, despite her excellent parentage. So he hadn't looked for her. He'd left her with the Malfoys, knowing that if she ever did come into her own, her upbringing would lead her to him.

Or so he'd thought...everything had been going fine until little over a month ago, when Dumbledore had made the decision to bring the girl to Hogwarts. Lucius hadn't been able to do anything about it, because under wizarding law all wizarding children had to go to school and be taught by professional teachers. Lucius tried money, but Fudge no longer trusted Lucius as he once had and seemed perfectly willing to go with Dumbledore again.

Once again, Dumbledore had ruined everything. Everything revolved around Dumbledore, from the loss of his daughter to Harry Potter's continual survival. The figure clenched his fists. That was the answer. Dumbledore had to be removed....

This was much more easily said than done...he'd never even been able to get the better of Dumbledore in a duel, and the man's mind was impenetrable. Unless he went through one of the children....

He tried to think. Who did Dumbledore care for the most? Harry Potter, obviously, but Harry had become too strong for him to simply have his way with him. The question was who of Dumbledore's pet children was the most vulnerable? Or maybe it was not a question of the children. Maybe one of the adults would better serve his purposes...but they were all wise in his ways.

What to do? the figure thought. Suddenly an idea struck him.

The vampire...her Dark nature would not allow her to resist him for long...yes...

Teres was the answer.


	9. Chapter 9

_You can handle this, Harry. _

_Just go to the ball._

_Ignore Malfoy. _

_Just go down there!_

Harry shook his head furiously. There was no need for pep talks, he told himself. No need whatsoever. He could handle it, he could. He could go down there and face Malfoy and say, it doesn't matter how many dances or balls you take her to. She's still mine.

But was she?

_She's not as innocent as you might think_.

What had Malfoy meant?

Harry scowled and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes furiously. His arch enemy's words were going to haunt him until he discovered what they meant. The Sarah he knew was rather like Hermione, in that she seemed to keep no secrets. But, if Sarah was really like that...what on earth was Malfoy blabbering about?

Lamia felt her insides writhing as she hastily made her way to her office. She hadn't fed in a while and she needed to do so, otherwise very bad things could happen. She knew she shouldn't have put it off this long, but she had time to spare before she had to chaperone the dance.

She reached her office quickly and unlocked the door. She dashed to the large trunk in the back of the room, where she kept a large supply of blood, received via the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She muttered a spell and the trunk lid flew open to reveal-

Emptiness.

Lamia stared at it in horror. All the blood- where was it?

She shook herself. Sitting there gazing at an empty chest would do her no good. She needed to find Dumbledore. No- alone, she could control her hunger, but around a human there was no telling what would happen. She'd have to stay in her office. But- that wouldn't help anything either. She'd just end up losing her mind and start rampaging around the school, and Dumbledore would surely come looking for her anyway. Her only option was to feed on the grounds. She wasn't allowed outside Hogwarts without an escort skilled enough to contain her.

Lamia turned toward her window, leaving the trunk open as an explanation for Dumbledore should he come. She felt her vampiric instincts take over and she leapt from her window sill, gliding swiftly to the forest upon landing. Once she was in the forest, she wouldn't have to worry about running into students. Hagrid would be the only one in danger, and Lamia knew that Hagrid would know how to disable her should she attack him.

She felt the darkness of the trees wash over her and she stood still in the silence, relishing it.

Now, she could hunt.

Sarah stood in the Great Hall along the side near the door, twisting the billowing sleeve of her misty gray robes. She was nervous, for more reasons than one. The one weighing most heavily in her mind right now was, how would Harry act? Would he and Draco behave or would they end up having problems? And when was Draco going to show up?

She had no sooner thought it when she felt a hand in the small of her back. She turned around and smiled somewhat nervously at Draco, who gave her a quizzical look. Slipping her arm through his, Sarah waited for him to ask the question as he led her over to a table.

"Why the long face, Sarah?" Draco asked, on cue.

"Just nervous, that's all," she replied. Draco smirked slightly and brushed his lips over her cheek as they sat.

"Don't worry. Everything will go just fine," he said. "Enjoy yourself. The time will come."

"But Draco- I don't know if we should-" Sarah began, but Draco placed a finger over her lips.

"We're going to go through with it, and it will all go smoothly," he said soothingly. "I promise. Word of a gentleman."

"But Draco," Sarah repeated. "How do I know that-"

"Sarah," Draco said, somewhat sharply. "This is neither the time nor the place. What we should be doing now is dancing. Come on."

He took her hands and pulled her up before sweeping her onto the dance floor and into a rollicking waltz. Sarah scowled slightly at how he brushed off her doubts but quickly picked up the beat of the music and allowed Draco to lead her about the dance floor.

"You look lovely tonight, Sarah," he said.

"You say that every night, Draco," Sarah replied, smiling slightly.

"I mean it every night," he responded, his voice dropping to a low whisper as the music slowed. He pulled her in closer to him until their bodies were touching. Sarah giggled slightly and nestled her face in Draco's chest.

Ron stormed up to the boy's dormitory looking for Harry, who was still looking at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall. The lanky Weasley walked over to his friend and poked him sharply in the back. Harry jumped and glared at Ron.

"What was that for?" he asked scathingly.

"Are you quite finished primping yet?" Ron asked, snickering. "Hermione and I are ready to go."

"So go already," Harry snapped, sitting down on his bed.

"Without you? You mean you're not going?" Ron asked, following him.

"I don't know if I can do it, Ron," Harry said quickly. "I don't think I can go down there and not hex him. I swear, he's doing this on purpose...there's no way he really loves her, there can't be!"

"Why not, Harry?" asked Hermione, appearing in the doorway. "Because if he loves her, then there's the window of chance that she might love him too?"

"No," Harry said automatically. He sighed. "Yes."

"You wouldn't be able to stand it if she loved him, would you, mate?" Ron said. "I mean, I really don't see how she could, but hey...you never know."

"She did spend her entire life with him," Hermione said. Harry sighed again and stood up, walking over to the door.

"As long as Voldemort doesn't get her, I'm happy," he said firmly before grinning at his friends. "Now let's go to the ball."

Hermione and Ron were much more eager to get to the ball than Harry, which was understandable. They had dates- each other- and they had reason to be there, so they walked ahead of Harry. Who, on the other hand, was feeling quite weighed down by the fact that his Sarah was in there with Malfoy.

Of course, was it right for him to call her his? She'd never said anything alluding to that, and he'd never asked. Malfoy had every right to be in there with her...after all, Harry had done nothing of the sort to stop her.

He scowled. He should have done something. Malfoy was always taking whatever Harry wanted, or in some way thwarting his goals and/or normal existence. Bah- as if Harry Potter could have a normal existence.

He was so immersed in his thoughts he ran right into Ron and Hermione, who had for some reason stopped in the doorway.

Sarah sighed contentedly, forgetting for a moment about what was going to happen when Harry got there. She just relaxed and let Draco's well-polished dancing skills carry her across the floor. She herself had never actually been taught how to dance...Mrs. Narcissa had told her that the woman didn't need to know how, she just had to let the man lead her, which Draco was doing a brilliant job of.

A woman's choir assembled on a platform where the staff table was usually situated and began singing "The Gondoliers." Draco grinned snarkily at her and sped up, twirling her round and round so fast her head spun. Sarah laughed as her knees buckled slightly from dizziness. Draco caught her and led her over to a table, smirking.

"Are you alright, Sarah?" he asked, raising her hand to his lips. Sarah smiled at him, recovering slightly from her dizziness.

"Quite alright, my friend," she said. Draco smiled arrogantly and kissed her lightly. As he pulled back, Sarah grinned at him.

"That's all? I thought you loved me more than that, darling," she said, falsely pouting. Draco smiled and pulled her into his lap, kissing her deeply. Sarah kissed him in return, relishing the fact that soon she and Draco would put their plan into motion.

Harry rubbed his nose and glared at Ron and Hermione.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" he asked. "Go inside!"

Ron and Hermione turned around to face him, their faces somewhat ashen. They moved closer together so that Harry couldn't see the Great Hall through Ron's shoulder and Hermione's bushy hair. Harry scowled at them.

"I think you ought to go to the bathroom before you go inside," Ron said, very unconvincingly. Hermione nodded, but Harry simply scoffed.

"I already went. What's in there that you don't want me to see?" he asked, irritated. He pushed them apart and strode into the Great Hall before stopping dead much in the same fashion as Ron and Hermione.

_Sarah...is...kissing Malfoy._

_He's kissing her. _

_**She's** kissing **him.** _

"Sarah..." Harry mumbled, shocked and hurt.

_She's kissing him..._


	10. Chapter 10

Dumbledore smiled at the students dancing before him before standing and exiting the Great Hall. Snape and McGonagall were waiting for him outside the doors.

"She has escaped?" he said. Snape nodded.

"I went to her office to see if she would like an escort to the ball and found it empty with the door open," he explained as the three teachers made their way onto the grounds and towards the forest. "Her blood supply was gone."

"I doubt it was the work of a student, Albus," McGonagall said. "You know as well as I how heavily she Charms her locks."

"Who else could have done it, Minerva? There is a good amount of clever students in Hogwarts these days, and I know a number of them find that their skills lie in breaking and entering," Dumbledore replied.

"Anyone you had in mind, Headmaster? Perhaps a Gryffindor?" Snape asked, thinking immediately of Hermione Granger, though he knew the girl would never do something like that.

"Actually Severus, I was thinking more along the lines of a Slytherin," Dumbledore said almost casually. "I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."

"Dumbledore, do you really think it fair to involve Mr. Malfoy without any evidence?"

"I'm not involving, Severus. I'm inferring," Dumbledore said firmly. "Although the time to involve may have come."

"What do you mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

"Think about it, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "Why would someone want to deprive Lamia of her blood supply? To, of course, set her loose upon the students. Or perhaps a single student in particular."

"You don't mean Potter?"

"I do, Minerva. I had thought that by bringing Lamia to Hogwarts I might have protected her from Voldemort's influences, but it seems I merely made her more vulnerable to them," Dumbledore said heavily.

"Well, how does Sarah Riddle fit into all of this?" Snape asked.

"I don't know, Severus, but I have a few theories," Dumbledore replied. He was about to speak again, perhaps to explain one of his theories, but all three were distracted by a dark figure shooting past them towards the school.

---------

Lamia discarded the shriveled carcass of her meal and glared at it. Centaur blood had never been her favorite type. She wouldn't be satisfied by it.

She wanted human blood. Her instincts had nearly taken over her completely, and while the blood of a creature might have satisfied her sane self, human blood was necessary for the ancient disease within her.

She growled and began to run full speed from the forest. She spotted three of her colleagues walking towards the forest, presumably to look for her, but she simply ran past them. They were too old...she wanted young, fresh blood. She'd seen a few ripe looking first years in one of her classes....

The ball was where she wanted to be. All those emotions running high- the students' blood would be absolutely saturated with endorphins, which in turn would give Lamia a sort of high, and that was always the best kind of blood.

She grinned and licked her lips at the thought.

---------

Harry stood, transfixed by the disgusting display. How- why? Had Malfoy put a spell on her, or was it really out of her own free will?

He felt anger rise in him...at Malfoy...at Sarah...at himself. He was angry at Malfoy for obvious reasons. Sarah earned his wrath because she had flirted with him, allowed him to love her, then gone and agreed to go with Malfoy, and now she was kissing him! But mostly, he was angry at himself, for believing that Sarah was his, for believing that she felt the same way about him, and for allowing himself to get that close to her anyway.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm gently and attempted to steer Harry away from the door to the Great Hall, simultaneously trying to stop Ron from entering said Great Hall and attacking Malfoy. Ron ended up occupying most of her attention, allowing Harry to wriggle out of her grip and go in.

Sarah and Malfoy had since stopped kissing and Sarah was excitedly waving her hands about as she told Malfoy about her endeavors of the past week. Malfoy was sitting there listening with a slightly uninterested expression on his face. Harry walked up behind Malfoy, who was closer to the door, and tapped him on the shoulder. Malfoy turned around and glared, but Sarah grinned.

"Hi, Harry," she said. She cocked her head innocently to the side. "What's wrong? You look kind of shaken up."

"Yes, Potter, do tell us why you're bothering us," Malfoy drawled. Harry scowled down at him and addressed Sarah.

"Sarah, I was- erm- wondering if you'd like to dance with me," he asked, a barely noticeable pink tinge creeping up his neck.

Malfoy stood up, his face indignant.

"She is _my_ date, Potter," he said vehemently. "If you want to dance with her, you need to ask me."

Sarah stood up behind him and took his hand. Malfoy turned to her and she granted him with a pointed look.

"It's alright, isn't it, Draco?" she asked. "Harry's my friend. You won't mind if I dance one song with him, will you?"

Malfoy gained the expression of one having a terrible inward battle, but eventually scowled at Harry with a look that clearly said, "She's still mine."

"You have my permission," he spat. Sarah smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Draco," she said. She slipped her arm through Harry's and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

As they danced, Harry refused to open his mouth. His original plan had been to confront her about kissing Malfoy, but he didn't want to seem overtly jealous and whiny. Besides, he was having trouble with the dance itself, because obviously Sarah expected him to lead and he had never been the best dancer.

Halfway through the song, Sarah pulled him off the dance floor on the opposite side of the room, so that Malfoy couldn't see them. Harry was about to ask what she was doing when she spoke.

"You want to ask, Harry. Why haven't you?" she said with uncharacteristic briskness.

"Ask about what?" Harry asked spitefully, trying to play dumb.

"Fine, then. I'll just tell you. Yes, I kissed Draco. Yes, I enjoyed it," Sarah said, her tone harsh and her face drawn. Harry glared at her, abandoning his game.

"What's wrong with you? How could you kiss him? He's evil, prejudiced and big-headed! He doesn't care about anyone!" Harry said.

"How do you know?" Sarah asked, returning Harry's glare. "Have you ever wondered whether or not there was someone he cared about, just maybe not you? Have you ever seen him interact with his fellow Slytherins, or his family?"

"Well...no," Harry said viciously. He was put-off by the fact that she was winning their argument, but he still tried to stand firm on his point. "But he's still prejudiced and big-headed!"

"Everyone has their weak points," Sarah spat. "Besides, you know what his family's like. Don't blame Draco, blame his ancestors."

"But he could choose to be different!" Harry protested.

"Could you suddenly choose to hate Muggle-borns after you've been taught for years that they're not below purebloods at all?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows raised. "Could you believe that you were of a higher sort than they when you hear your parents discussing the opposite view of the situation?"

Harry glared at her, not responding. Anything he said would only get him in deeper. Instead, he studied her, because she appeared quite different than usual. In the short time frame of their discussion, she had gone from her usual cheerful self to a snappy, exhausted girl who rather reminded Harry of Hermione after one of her all-night study-fests.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly. Sarah looked over at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You look anxious," Harry commented. "Like something big's about to happen." He eyed her carefully. "Nothing big is about to happen, is it?"

Sarah faltered a bit before shaking her head and laughing- a high-pitched, nervous laugh.

"No, of course not, Harry!" she said.

Even as she spoke, the doors burst open, sending a wave of cool air from the outside over the students. A loud, resounding _crack_ was heard as the large doors fell of their hinges and crashed to the floor. Several students screamed and pointed in horror at the figure standing in the exposed doorway.

It was Professor Teres, but she looked far different than the Teres they knew from class. Her cascading black hair swirled around her, as did what appeared to be the remnants of black silk dress robes, now tattered and stained in several places. Her pale skin seemed frighteningly glossy, and looked like something out of a horror film as it reflected the red glow of her typically black eyes.

She hungrily looked around the room as the shocked teachers regained their senses and moved in. She bent her knees, ready to leap over them into a large clump of first years when a high, cold voice infiltrated her thoughts.

_Potter...get Potter..._

She felt a force greater than her will turn her body, so that she was facing the place where Harry and Sarah stood, both of them fearful but for different reasons. She didn't fight it. Blood was blood, as long as she got it.

She pushed past the teachers and anyone else in her way, dodging Stunning Spells and the like in her effort to get to Harry. Soon, she only had the teachers behind her. The students in her path had thrown themselves out of the way, frightened half to death. She had a clear shot to the boy.

Sarah's eyes widened and she placed herself firmly and directly in Lamia's path, pulling out her wand.

"Not yet, Lamia! Not yet!!" she screamed, pointing the wand directly at the vampire.


	11. Chapter 11

Lamia grinned nastily and shook her head.

"Who are you to order me, little princess?" she hissed. "I do not submit to your will. I surpass you by far. A single, solitary, sixteen-year-old witch is no match for a vampire such as myself."

"She's not alone," Hermione said, walking over with her wand out and her face set in a strangely heroic expression. "She has me."

"And me!" said Ron, bounding over and nearly tripping over a table.

Draco watched them rush to Sarah's aid, enthralled. Would anyone do that for him? Maybe Sarah, but that was really it...he was alone in this school. He lingered on these thoughts for perhaps a moment more before he determined their Gryffindory-ness. Quickly he regained himself and contemplated Ron and Hermione's bravery.

Of course, he almost laughed out loud at them. They were rushing to her aid, when Sarah herself had been plotting their downfall. Draco watched Sarah. He knew that was what she was thinking about. As part of the plan, she had made friends with these people, and now the consequences were revealed. She had allowed herself to get attached to them, and she was having doubts. It was all plain on her face.

_No matter_, Draco thought. _I'll just have to dispel those thoughts_.

Harry, meanwhile, was watching his friends rush to help Sarah, but her words rang through his head.

_Not yet? What's she mean? So they are going to let the vampire attack me? Is that it?_ he wondered, scowling slightly.

"Sarah," Harry said. "Not yet? What's going on?"  
  
Sarah turned around to look at him, while Lamia and Draco smirked and Ron and Hermione adopted a confused look.

"You mean- you were planning- to have Professor Teres attack Harry?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"That's right, Weasley," Draco said, sauntering over. "Sarah befriending you- it was all a hoax to get closer to Potter. She was supposed to remain objective," he added with a meaningful glare at Sarah, who scowled back at him.

"Is this true, Sarah?" Hermione asked.

"I was supposed to get him into the woods," Sarah said through clenched teeth. She turned to glare at Lamia. "_She_ was supposed to _stay_ in the woods." Lamia shrugged and sneered at her.

"One does what one must. You thought I'd actually wait for _one_ human boy- not even that young, mind you- when there's a whole hall full of scrumptious first years?" she said, gesturing around as said first years quivered and took several steps back. "Speaking of which-"

She turned back to the group of first years she had jumped over to get to Harry and launched herself forward-

"_Lumos Solarum!_"

She shrieked and fell to the floor, trying to cover herself with her robes to hide from the brilliant light at the end of the three wands before her. When the light faded and the students could see again, they beheld Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall standing over an unconscious Teres. Dumbledore looked up at the students, smiling gallantly. Dumbledore had that quality of being able to appear cheery even while staring at hundreds of frightened faces, and it was one of the reasons Harry held him in highest esteem.

"Prefects, please escort your Houses back to your dormitories immediately. Teachers please oversee the students," he said loudly. "Except you, Ron and Hermione, let the seventh year prefects take them. Mr. Malfoy, you remain as well."

Ron and Hermione, who had been about to march off calling for students loudly, placed their feet back on the floor and remained stationary.

Once the Great Hall was empty save for the three teachers and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sarah and Draco, Dumbledore looked down at Lamia and back up at Harry.

"It really wasn't her fault. A student, it seems, broke into her office and stole her blood supply, forcing her hunting instincts to take over," he explained. He looked at Sarah.

"Your father, I suppose, asked you to do this for him?" he asked. Sarah nodded.

"In my dream, do you remember? I didn't tell about that part, I didn't think it was that important, I don't know why," she said, shrugging. "He was just telling me all these things about Harry and I forgot about all the nice things he'd done for me and such."

"And Mr. Malfoy, of course, knew but chose not to remind you...I see," Dumbledore said, and it was obvious that he'd already known all about it. Draco scowled but didn't comment.

The doors of the hall burst open once more and when they all turned to look, they saw none other than Lucius Malfoy. He was a different Lucius Malfoy than Harry had seen at the Department of Mysteries- he was emaciated slightly, though his brilliant robes hid most of it. His eyes lacked shine and his hair hang lank and limp. There were heavy bags around his eyes, and the wrinkles formerly hidden by magic were now clearly visible. However, his trademark smug scowl was still in place as he marched over, whipping out his wand. McGonagall and Snape glared at him and also raised their wands, but Dumbledore motioned them down. He smiled cheerily at Lucius.

"Evening, Lucius," he said. "To what do we owe the honor?"

"I'm coming to get Lamia Teres," Lucius snapped, pointing his wand at the vampire. She rose off of the ground and began to float at waist level.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Ah, Lucius. I'm afraid that's not possible. You see, she is a teacher here, and we need her. It is only Christmas, you know. Still a good bit of the year to go," Dumbledore said.

"She's dangerous, Dumbledore," Lucius snapped. "After what happened tonight you can't possible think you can keep her here. She obviously isn't as in control of her condition as she thought."

"Lucius, you know as well as I do that this was aided," Dumbledore said sternly.

"Still...it could be- aided- again. As for your need for a teacher, I myself will of course volunteer. I'm sure you'll find that I'm quite qualified," Lucius said in reply.

An almost immediate groan sounded from the Gryffindors, who in light of this catastrophic announcement had briefly forgotten the events which had taken place only moments before. The Slytherins, for their part, looked somewhat pleased- well, Draco did. Sarah seemed to be reluctant to look anything but highly interested in her shoes.

Dumbledore looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"An excellent suggestion, Lucius," he said, oblivious to McGonagall's incredulous expression and the dark looks Snape was giving both him and Lucius. "Thank you so much for your consideration. In light of your comments I suppose the best thing would be to dismiss Lamia."


End file.
